Judge Os Chrisman, who serves on Dallas County’s protective-order bench, says the county could learn from its peers that enforce the gun bans. “That would be a good idea if we can figure out a way to pull it off,” he said. (Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News)

When a protective order is issued in Travis County, for example, abusers are asked to put their firearms in the trunk of a car and take them to the Sheriff’s Department by the close of business that day. A deputy then provides a receipt, which must be turned over to the county attorney’s office to verify compliance, said Travis County misdemeanor Judge Mike Denton. He said a similar procedure is in place for people who commit misdemeanor domestic violence.

The judge said Travis County has been following that protocol for years.

“I’m not aware of a single case where someone was killed with a firearm that could have been taken but wasn’t.”

Travis County misdemeanor, Judge Mike Denton

Bexar County:

Those arrested on domestic violence charges or those with protective orders against them must turn over guns. Informally, judges can ask convicted abusers about guns, but they have to depend on the abuser to be honest.

"If they are convicted, I will still ask about any firearms. I have yet to have anybody say yes.”

Bexar County misdemeanor, Judge Monica Gonzalez

Harris County:

Has expressed interest in confiscating weapons from abusers but hasn’t acted to do so.

El Paso County:

Developed a well-regarded program for confiscating guns from abusers that was used as model in Texas, but the program apparently has fallen by the wayside since the judge in charge left office.

“I’m not aware of a single case where someone was killed with a firearm that could have been taken but wasn’t,” Denton said.

In 2012, Bexar County adopted a similar program that applies to subjects of protective orders and to domestic violence suspects released on bond. They are asked to take their guns to police, who are responsible for making sure they comply. If not, police are to notify judges, who can adjust bond conditions or issue warrants for their arrest, said Bexar County Magistrate Michael Ugarte.

Bexar County can also apply that protocol to convicted abusers, but the offenders rarely cop to owning guns.

“If they are convicted, I will still ask about any firearms. I have yet to have anybody say yes,” said Bexar County misdemeanor Judge Monica Gonzalez, who handles family violence cases.

Follow-up usually falls to probation officers, Ugarte said.

Judge Os Chrisman, who rotates with other judges on the Dallas County protective-order court bench, said the county could learn something from its peers.

“That would be a good idea if we can figure out a way to pull it off,” he said, citing the need to get police on board.

Dallas police Maj. Rob Sherwin, who oversees the family violence division, said he has concerns that the law does not allow him to confiscate weapons. He said he is also worried about where to store the guns and how to pay for that.

California solves the cost problem by charging abusers a storage fee.

Aaron Setliff, public policy director at the Texas Council on Family Violence, said police typically worry about how many guns will be taken, “but there really aren’t a large number.” In Bexar County, Ugarte said, the protocol has been used “sparingly” because there aren’t that many reported incidents involving guns.

Other options for enforcing the law include proving to the court that a gun was transferred to a third party or checking to see if an abuser has a concealed-handgun license.

A time-intensive alternative is for officers to ask judges for a search warrant if they think an abuser still has a gun. Police use this method in New Hampshire.

In Florida’s Miami-Dade County, judges ask every subject of a protective order to sign an affidavit about whether he or she has a gun. That holds the person legally accountable for telling the truth.

These programs aren’t foolproof: They inherently rely on abusers to be honest, and they can’t guarantee an offender won’t get another gun illegally.

But Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, said abusers are surprisingly compliant in giving up their guns — when there is a protocol in place to confiscate them.

“Most people don't want to go to jail, it turns out,” he said.

That’s been the case in Travis County, said Mack Martinez, chief of the family violence division in the county attorney’s office. “We’ve never had a problem,” he said. “People, when we ask them to forfeit their guns, they do.”

Efforts to remove guns from abusers are getting less push-back than they once did. The National Rifle Association recently backed off its opposition to a law in Washington state to take guns from some abusers.

“Gun removal should be happening in Dallas County,” said Paige Flink, executive director of The Family Place shelter. “This is a glaring opportunity to make an impact.”